DENNIS LENNOX: An eye on the governor's mansion

Sunday, August 11, 2013

The summer saga involving Detroit mayoral hopeful Mike Duggan confirms the old adage that a few weeks, let alone a couple of months, are an eternity in politics.

Despite being disqualified from appearing on last week’s primary ballot for failing to comply with the city charter’s eligibility requirements, Duggan pulled off a remarkable first place showing with 46 percent of the vote as a write-in candidate to advance to the general election.

Then again, perhaps his victory wasn’t so incredible given he had the backing of the establishment, money from well-healed business interests and endorsements from sympathetic voices in the media.

The chattering class may think Duggan’s all but certain victory in November is a good thing for Detroit, but one must really question whether someone who couldn’t even comply with basic filing requirements for elective office can actually do what’s necessary to clean out city hall and start anew post-bankruptcy.

Notwithstanding, the curious coalition that came together in support of Duggan proved that politics can make strange bedfellows.

The former Wayne County prosecuting attorney locking up the Democratic establishment given his ties to the former McNamara machine wasn’t a surprise. However, what was surprising was the number of prominent Republicans, who were quietly and not so quietly helping the would-be mayor.

Even Gov. Rick Snyder’s remarks in the wake of Duggan’s mayoral primary victory were warmer than one might think, though surely this has nothing to do with the fact that some of his biggest backers are funding the Duggan campaign.

One could dismiss all this as the establishment of both parties putting partisan differences aside for the interests of Michigan’s first city. That may make for a great talking point, but there’s probably something else at work here.

Considering the improbability of a GOP candidate winning any of the city’s elected offices, the few Republicans living or doing business in Detroit likely made a strategic calculation to settle for what crumbs they might receive by getting behind Duggan.

He may be more pragmatic than mayoral rival Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon, but Duggan is hardly a post-partisan.

His ambitions for the governor’s mansion are widely known. There was even speculation, including in this column, that he might challenge Snyder in next year’s gubernatorial contest.

That talk has faded with Detroit in federal bankruptcy proceedings, but the prospects of a Duggan candidacy in 2018 are very strong, especially, if as expected, Snyder wins re-election (no governor has lost re-election to a second term since 1962).

Duggan’s biggest advantage going forward is that he gets to have it both ways, which is great for a politician eying the next election.

Should he become mayor, Duggan can talk about restoring self-governance to city hall while sitting back and doing nothing as the emergency financial manager, who holds all governing powers, and a federal bankruptcy judge go about the very messy business of bringing Detroit back from the ash heap of history.

This will then allow him to run for governor as the “turnaround specialist” – a tagline he’s already using – in a race that would naturally favor Democrats after eight years of Republicans under Snyder.